Cradle adjustment for stranding machines



Aug. 16, 1938. D. s. ROBBINS 2,126,977

CRADLE ADJUSTMENT FOR STRANDING MACHINES Filed April 15, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 2. -/5

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h; mf /0% Aug. 16, 1938. D. s. ROBBINS 7 CRADLE ADJUSTMENT FOR STRANDINGMACHINES Filed April 15, '1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aqwa 5. EOEB/NS 40aPatented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRADLE ADJUSTMENT FORSTRAN DING MACHINE S David S. Robbins, Worcester, Mass., and Albert C.Uihlein, New Haven, Conn assignors to The American Steel and WireCompany of New 8 Claims.

This invention relates to stranding machines, and particularly to ameans of adjusting the cradles of such machines.

In stranding machines of the planetary type as used for making wire ropeand the like, there is provided a plurality of cradles, each holding areel of wire, arranged concentrically about the axis of the machine withthe axes of the cradles positioned parallel thereto. The cradles arerotated about the axis of the machine and, at the same time, about theirown axes as the wire is reeled ofi to make the wire rope.

Heretofore, the cradles were keyed or otherwise securely attached totheir supporting axes in set relationship to each other. While it isnecessary in certain types of spinning to maintain the cradles in setparallel relationship, there are other types of spinning where adifferent relationship must be maintained and a different strandingmachine would have to be provided for each type of spinning.

With the aid of the present invention, various types of wire ropespinning can be performed on the same machine, thereby eliminating theneed of a machine for each particular type of spinning.

It is one of the objects of our invention to provide a stranding machinewhich will produce a wire rope of various types.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved adjustablesupport for cradles of stranding machines.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a stranding machinein which the cradles can be adjusted to various positions relative toeach other.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will more fullyappear during the course of the following specification and will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown, for the purpose ofillustration, one embodiment which our invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Figure l is a plan of the cradle assembly of a planetary type wirestranding machine equipped with the improved cradle adjustment of ourinvention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the 50 end of the cradle andour improved adjusting device;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line IVIV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view showing the face of the plate clutch on the sleeve;and

Figure 6 is a similar view, showing the face of the cooperating plateassembled on the cradle.

There is shown, in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the cradle assemblyof a conventional type stranding machine having a plurality of cradles 2concentrically arranged about the main driveshaft or axis 3 of themachine, each having a reel of wire 4 rotatably mounted therein. Thecradles are rotatably mounted parallel to the axis of the machinebetween a pair of spiders 5 and 6, the spider 6 having gear teeth on theperiphery thereof which engage with a pinion gear 1 positioned on asuitable drive-shaft 8 at the side of the machine. The cradles 2 arerotated by stud shafts 9 connected to one end thereof which are mountedin suitable bearings positioned in the spider 6. The stud shafts 9 havepinion gears In on the outer end thereof which are adapted to mesh witha gear II mounted on the main shaft 3 of the machine. There is alsomounted on the main shaft 3 a gear l2 which is driven by a pinion gearl3 positioned on a suitable drive shaft I4 on the opposite side of themachine.

Itwill .be understood, then, that as the main shaft 3 of the machine isrotated by means of gears l2 and I3 through the action of the driveshaftI4, the group of cradles are also rotated by gears 6 and I through theaction of the driveshaft 8. At the same time, the cradles 2 are rotatedabout their axes, due to the cooperation between the pinion gears l0 andthe gear ll. Such a cradle assembly and drive is conventional in moststranding machines of the planetary type and, of course, does not formany part of our invention.

According to the present invention, there is suitably mounted ontheinner face of the yoke of each of the cradles 2, preferably by meansof cap-screws or other suitable means, at the driven end of each of thecradles, a clutch-plate 5 having claws ll or other suitable engagingmeans on the outer face thereof. There is mounted on each of the studshafts 9 and slidably keyed thereto, a sleeve l8 having a groove I9positioned at one end and around the periphery thereof and aclutch-plate 20, similar to the clutch-plate i6, suitably attachedthereto and preferably made an integral part thereof, having notches 2|on the inner face thereof which are adapted to cooperate with the clawsll of the clutch-plate It. The ends of the shafts 9 are provided with asuitable threaded portion 22 and each has mounted thereon preferably acastellated nut 23 having an annular extending portion 24 which isadapted to fit over and around the outer end of the sleeve [8. Theannular portion 24 of the nuts carries preferably a cap-screw 25 whoseinner end is adapted to fit loosely in the slot IS on the end of thestud shaft 9.

In order to adjust any cradle to a desired position, the nut 23 isturned in the loosening direction which, in turn, moves the sleeve l8and the clutch-plate to the left, as shown in Figure 2, disengaging theinterengaging notches in the opposed faces of the two clutch-plates andthereby allowing free movement and adjustment of the cradle. After thecradle is adjusted to the desired position, the nut 23 is then, ofcourse, turned in the tightening direction, moving the sleeve l8,together with the clutch-plate 20, to the right and bringing the notchesI1 and 2| of the two plates into engagement, locking the cradle to theshaft 9. The nut 23 is held in this position preferably by means of asuitable pin 26 passing through the end of the nut and the stud shaft 9.

As a result of the present invention, it will be seen that cradles ofstranding machines equipped with the simple and inexpensive device ofour invention, can be quickly and easily adjusted to any desiredposition relative to one another. That is to say, any single cradle maybe rotated and set in any desired position relative to the othercradles, thereby eliminating the need of a plurality of different typesstranding machine for the spinning of different types of wire rope.

While we have, in this application, specifically shown and described anembodiment of our invention, it will be understood that this embodimentis merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and thatvarious other forms may be devised within the scope of the invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means for adjustingeach of said cradles in a plurality of positions relative to each oftheir respective shafts.

2. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means carried by eachof said cradles which is adapted to cooperate with means carried by eachof their respective shafts to adjustably position the same therewith ina plurality of positions.

3. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means for adjustingthe position of each of said cradles relative to their respectiveshafts, including a movable collar carried by each of said shafts andslidably keyed thereto, and means carried by said collars which isadapted to cooperate with means carried by said cradle to lock the sametherewith in a plurality of positions.

4. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means for adjustingthe position of each of said cradles relative to their respectiveshafts, including a movable collar carried by each of said shafts andslidably keyed thereto, .and a clutchplate carried by each of saidcollars which is adapted to cooperate with means carried by said cradleto lock the same therewith in a plurality of positions.

5. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means for adjustingthe position of each of said cradles relative to their respectiveshafts, including a movable collar carried by each of said shafts andslidably keyed thereto, and a clutch-plate carried by each of saidcollars which is adapted to cooperate with a similar clutch-platecarried by said cradles to lock the same therewith in a plurality ofpositions.

6. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means for adjustingthe position of each of said cradles relative to their respectiveshafts, including a movable collar carried by each of said shafts andslidably keyed thereto, and a clutchplate carried by each of saidcollars, said clutchplates having interengaging means on one facethereof which is adapted to interengage with means carried by theopposed face of a similar clutch-plate carried by said cradles to lockthe same therewith in a plurality of positions.

'7. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means for adjustingthe position of each of said cradles relative to their respectiveshafts, including means carried by each of said shafts which is slidablyengaged therewith, said means adapted to cooperate with means carried bysaid cradles to lock the same therewith in a plurality of positions.

8. In combination with a wire stranding machine of the planetary typehaving a plurality of cradles concentrically arranged therein, each ofsaid cradles having a shaft for driving the same, means for adjustingthe position of each of said cradles in a plurality of positionsrelative to their respective shafts including a movable collar carriedby each of said shafts and slidably keyed thereto, a clutch-platecarried by each of said collars, said clutch-plates having interengagingmeans on one face thereof which is adapted to interengage with meanscarried by the opposed faces of similar clutch-plates carried by saidcradles and means for holding the interengaging means of said plates inengagement with each other.

DAVID S. ROBBINS. ALBERT C. UIHLEIN.

